


Never coming back

by Zenico



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hufflepuff Severus Snape, James Potter is a dork and doesn't know how to deal with crushes, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24047185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenico/pseuds/Zenico
Summary: The last thing he sees when he dies is green. The first thing he sees when he wakes up is gray.Severus finds himself in his 11 years old body and decides to keep Lily Evans alive no matter what. Along the way he steals James Potter's heart as well.....Edit: I have no self-control and i made a discord. The link is this one :Snames Discord
Relationships: James Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 114
Kudos: 713





	1. The Sorting Hat

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, thank you for giving this fic a chance. Snames it's one of my OTP since 2013. I'm quite happy that fics are still being posted. I used to write a lot about them in the past so here I am trying to do it again. After reading Hufflepuf Severus in AkiieLo amazing story i feel like doing this. 
> 
> English isn't my first language so if you see some mistake please do tell. 
> 
> Have fun reading!

The last thing he sees when he dies is green. The first thing he sees when he wakes up is gray. Small specks of dust dance against the sun. He blinks slowly, his mind still sleepy. His right hand is raised gently in a futile attempt to catch the dust particles. He is not able to catch them, but the sun rays that come through the window caress his skin, welcoming him to a new day. A breeze seeps through the thin walls and almost instantly Severus Snape's body moves inside the blankets that wrap him. The action stops at the same time that Severus takes notice. He is alive. For some strange reason he is alive.

With trembling hands, he strips off the old blanket that covers him. His steps are uncertain as he watches his surroundings. The room does not look absolutely like a hospital or infirmary at Hogwarts. His heart shrinks in fear. It is not a medical establishment, but Severus certainly recognizes it. The grayish walls and ceiling, the mold stains that adorn most of the room, the lack of furniture ... His breath catches his throat. His mouth tastes bitter and horrible. He takes one step and then another, his body reeling with each step. His footsteps creak on the old wood as he approaches the small mirror, he knows is inside a wardrobe drawer. Severus rummages inside the closet and pulls out the mirror. He takes a deep breath in with the intention of regaining some control, his hands are shaking hard.

He slowly turns the mirror. The image that looks back at him is him, but not him. The image in the mirror is of someone Snape ceased to be a long time ago. He looks like a child. It is not possible! He is sure he died a few minutes ago. Nagini's poison had been his cause of death. His left hand caresses the skin of his face and the reflection in the mirror imitates him. He feels like he is going to throw up. His stomach churns unpleasantly. What the hell is going on? Is this purgatory? His vision is clouded for a second. The sensation of tears running down his face is puzzling, he is aware that he is crying, however he is unable to process it.

He could probably go on like this, squatting and feeling like he does not have control of his body, for the rest of the day; but the light knock on the door brings him out of his reverie.

"Severus, you have 15 minutes to get ready and then we could go to the King’s Cross Station. We must leave before your father wakes up,” the woman's voice is familiar. It lacks warmth and sounds tired of living. She is his mother.

The crying stops abruptly. Snape has worked years as a double spy, being able to answer his mother - who died many years ago - must be an easy task. "Okay, mother." It is a short and simple sentence, even so, the voice is cut off and the intonation is completely wrong. Her mother doesn't seem to notice anything strange about it though and her steps echo against the old wood.

It is easy to guess what day it is; his mother has only accompanied him to the train station once and that was when he was 11 years old. He quickly grabs clothes from the closet and heads to the bathroom. Severus recalls that the first time he experienced this he had not been able to shower, and his already horrible hair had looked worse than usual. He wanted to avoid attracting as many gazes as the first time.

After so many years of living in constant alert, showering in 5 minutes is a skill that is developed easily. Dressing and brushing his teeth in another 5 minutes are just another skill that complements the other. His hair is still damp, but he doesn't care. Severus is a man in the body of a child and that is the reason for the feeling of anguish at the thought of meeting his useless father.

The black-haired one enters his room again and puts on the shoes that belong to the school uniform. Just when he is done, his mother enters the room. She looks just as he remembers her, eyes devoid of joy and with a severe face. She carries an aura of weariness that makes her uncomfortable to see. Eileen is the living representation of an unhappy and defeated woman.

Severus' eyes stray from his mother, he is unable to even see her.

"It's time to go," the woman announces as she gestures in the direction of the child's luggage.

Snape nods, still unable to articulate a sentence, and takes the bag until he takes it to his mother. The woman takes the luggage and gives him a look that is hard to forget, even despite the number of years that have passed, which clearly means **_do not make noise_**. Some cold sweat trickles down the boy's neck. It is funny, Severus finds it absurdly funny, he's faced Voldemort without blinking, but his father's prospect waking up to hit him terrifies him. The fear he feels is like an unpleasant number of needles caught in his throat.

Every step they take echoes in his head. His heart is pounding, and he is quite sure that as soon as they leave home, he will get a headache. Severus is aware that he is not the only one who feels the same way, Eileen looks tense.

Mother and son take a deep breath when they close the door of their "home" behind them. The way to the station is silent and fast, just like a dream. Snape's mind is a mess, a whirlwind of why and how. He should be dead; that is, he is quite certain that he is dead. The feeling of acknowledging your own death is not an easy thing to forget, for one moment you just feel heavy and light at the same time, and the next you know you are dead. There is no blood circulating through your veins or lungs struggling to get oxygen. There is nothing superficial like living, it is simply light and darkness that engulfs you. Warm and cold, so is death.

Snape has recognized his death and found peace in it in his last moments, but here he is again. Living as an 11-year-old boy. What does this mean?

"Have a safe trip," his mother murmurs just as the two of them are in front of the red train.

Severus nods and his mother watches him for 5 seconds before turning to retreat. They both know that she cannot stay there long, not if she wants to avoid her husband's anger. The thought makes his stomach twist. Why is he here? Is this a kind of purgatory? Is this what hell looks like? A place where you can relive each of your mistakes without being able to change anything?

"Sev!" His legs are trembling and if it wasn't for his will power, he is sure he would have fallen to the ground from the impression. Green eyes, the same and not, that he saw when he died return his gaze. Lily Evans watches him with a cheery smile. Her red hair sways with the rhythm of the wind.

He is unable to formulate a sentence for a few seconds and when it is obvious that Lily's smile begins to diminish Severus forces himself to speak. He licks his lips a little before opening his mouth. "Lily ..." is the only thing he can say.

Lily's expression looks shocked. "Are you okay, Severus? You're shaking,” Lily's voice is full of concern.

How many years ago had Severus last seen that expression on the redhead? Too many. So many that he has lost count. He is aware that Lily is right, his body is shaking, but there is nothing he can do to stop it. The boy licks his lips again, vaguely thinking that they are dry and broken. He must drink more water than he regularly does, the thought is so stupid and unimportant that his mind finally regains some consciousness.

"I'm cold, that's all." Severus tries to smile a little in the direction of the other girl.

Lily does not seem convinced but does not press further on it. That is something Severus had always appreciated about Lily, she knew there were things Snape could not share, but she never pushed him. She wa- _is_ so patient.

"In that case, let's hurry!" Lily smiled enthusiastically again and took him by the hand, then started walking inside the train. Her hand was warm, and the black-eyed man had to fight his urge to cry again. Severus squeezed the girl's hand a little more, who turned to smile at him when she noticed what the boy did.

It was a bit awkward to walk down the train aisles with joined hands as Lily was pulling her trunk with the other. Severus' trunk followed behind; his mother had enchanted him to follow him around.

"I hope I can learn soon how to do that!" The redhead mentioned excitedly turning to look at the trunk that was chasing them.

Severus smiled imperceptibly. "You sure will be an extraordinary witch."

Evans's green eyes sparkled with joy. Severus still did not understand what he was doing here, many years in the past. There were many questions to which he still couldn't find any answers, but what he was completely sure of was that he would do everything possible to keep that smile on the redhead. He would change whatever was necessary to ensure that Lily Evans did not die tragically. He couldn't bear it again.

Severus Snape lost a lot on that night many years ago and if this weren’t hell then he would make sure Lily was happy as she deserved. Even if that meant making sure James Potter did not die either. For a few seconds he felt nauseous, but he pushed it aside when Lily opened an empty compartment on the train. Both children entered and each sat on one side. Soon they would leave London and arrive at Hogwarts to begin their journey in the world of magic. Lily looked eager and full of energy. He didn't want her to lose that, her happiness.

Snape had always been quiet during his childhood, so he allowed Lily to keep up the conversation. Sometimes he nodded or simply mumbled monosyllables, but Evans did not seem to mind the fact. Taking advantage of this, he allowed himself to think about what to do if he wanted to ensure the success of his mission.

His thoughts and Lily's voice stopped just as the compartment’s door opened. Severus had to use all his experience as a spy to avoid showing the displeasure on his face. James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were at the door. All three had friendly and innocent faces, completely ignorant of the hell that they had made him live for years. His stomach burned with hatred.

"Hello! We're looking for somewhere to sit, would you mind if we kept you company?” Potter was the first to speak, since childhood he had taken that odious position as leader of his pseudo-friends.

Lily frowned slightly and turned to see Severus. "What do you think, Sev?" The redhead questioned.

Snape swallowed thickly and forced every part of his body to remain relaxed. "It’s okay, Lily."

With that simple sentence Evans's suspicious expression changed to a friendly one. "You heard him; you can come in."

The other three nodded and entered the small compartment. As expected, Potter sat next to Lily and Sirius next to James. Remus sat next to him. The dark-haired kid swallowed thickly when he saw Potter and Lily sitting next to each other with smiles on their faces. It felt like acid burning inside him, but he still kept a normal expression on his face. He wanted Lily to keep smiling like this until she dies of old age and unfortunately the only way this would happen is if James Potter and the other two nasty humans were still alive.

"I am James Potter, and you?" Potter had thrown the question at both Severus and Lily, but it was painfully obvious that the only person he was interested in hearing was Lily.

"I am Lily Evans!" The girl appeared excited.

The rest of the children giggled a little at the redhead's enthusiasm, even Severus was unable to keep from smiling.

"How about you?" Remus asked sheepishly, glancing at him.

Severus did a magnificent job of ignoring the fact that that same boy had nearly murdered him years ago. "Severus Snape, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The dark-haired child gave a small nod of greeting. He did not want to talk anymore; he didn't know if he was going to be able to keep his facade calm for a long time.

Just seeing the faces of those three was enough to twist his stomach and he had to make sure he didn't make himself their enemy as soon as in the past. Severus knew too many ways to defend himself and he didn't know if he could hold back in case that stupid trio provoked him. Also, he didn't want to scare Lily. Severus sighed slightly, he knew that he should not worry about speaking, Lily had the ability to carry on a conversation by herself.

"What about you two?" Evans asked curiously. As Snape had foreseen, there was no need for him to intervene, so taking advantage of the fact that the conversation was no longer focused on him, he decided to take a book to read. Any distraction was better than having to pretend he had no hatred for Potter and the other two.

Severus stayed focused on reading and looking at the pictures from the book and hearing the conversation of the others. He could hear them speak and thus be alert to any comments they made. It was a matter of minutes for the conversation to drift toward the Hogwarts houses. This was the moment in which James Potter and his gang had decided that they would make Severus Snape's life a nightmare. Severus had pondered that since he had made his goal of making Lily happy and there was only one viable option. He could not be drawn in Slytherin, as much as he wanted to maintain his relationship with Lily, it would be impossible to survive without talking to his housemates. Then it would be a matter of time before he was drafted into the ranks of the Dark Lord. He could not allow it.

"I want to be in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! It is the house of my parents, my mother and my father met there. What about you?” Potter had a curious gaze that even his glasses couldn't hide.

Lily was the first one to respond, Severus did not know how he had been able to miss his friend's clear attention to Potter in the past. Lily's green eyes seemed to be lost in James Potter. "My parents are Muggles so I only know what Severus has told me and what I have been able to read," Lily turned to face Snape and give him a slight smile and then continue the conversation. “I think Gryffindor and Ravenclaw sound like good options for my interests… Although any house really looks like a good option! Being at Hogwarts seems like a dream!”

As Severus expected, both Black and Potter frowned at Lily's words. “Believe me, not all of them are good, you don't want to be in Slytherin. Dark wizards come out of there, I know about it, my whole family is from there. They are a bunch of blood supremacists; they don't think Muggles are good enough to exist. So, I will be the first Black to be in Gryffindor!” Sirius, who had spoken up right after Evans, stated fiercely.

"Is Slytherin really bad?" Lily's green eyes sought Severus's black eyes. Snape decided to focus firmly on his book. Severus was aware that he had told Lily that his mother had gone to Slytherin, but he had never mentioned that he wanted to go there as well.

He had done so because he was afraid that when the selection took place he would not be selected as a Slytherin. Clearly that had not been the case, but right now it was a powerful tool. He gently stroked the image of a beast that appeared in the book and continued reading.

James leaned closer to Lily, as if he were about to tell her a secret. “It is normal that you do not know it if you are muggleborn. Gryffindor is the best house! Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, belonged to the Gryffindor house. It is a place for brave people. Then there is Slytherin, as we already said, it is full of dangerous wizards. It's supposed to be for the cunning ones.” James frowned, childishly, unable to hide his distaste for Salazar Slytherin's house. “Ravenclaw is for those who like to study and are smart. Hufflepuff is ... I don't know much about them. I only know that it is the leftover house, it is full of students who do not belong to the other houses.”

James Potter was still an idiot. The cycle was the same, he was full of prejudice. Severus' stomach contracted, the sensation of acid running through his veins was difficult to control. His hands were firmly holding the book that rested on his lap. Remus, who was at his side, could see it. It was difficult to ignore, perhaps due to his position as a werewolf, the tension in the other boy's body.

"I want to go to Hufflepuff" Severus intervened in a soft but firm voice. The other children, including Lily, were somewhat surprised to hear the voice of the other who had remained silent until now.

"I always thought you wanted Slytherin, Severus! Being that your mother is from there, right?” Lily was the first to recover from the impression.

The dark-haired kid hurried to speak before the situation escalated to more dangerous places. "No," Severus denied. "My mother belonged to Slytherin, but ... I prefer Hufflepuff. Newt Scamander was a Hufflepuff. " Snape's hands tightened firmly on the book he was reading. It was a copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. Severus was a little fond of the book since that was the only new book he had, in addition to be the first thing they teach you in Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.

In the past, when he first experienced this, the feeling of having something new had made him happy. It was the first time in a long time that he had something that was entirely his. His happiness hadn't lasted long since Potter and his entourage had ruined it during a prank. His decision to say Hufflepuff; however, was not tied to something as childish as the feeling of a new book. Severus had been thinking about it ever since he decided to keep Lily Evans alive.

Hufflepuff was a house associated with light, not as neutral as Ravenclaw. The difference was that just as Potter had said, most wizards and witches thought of Helga's house as a dumpster for students who lacked talent. Death Eaters were not even trying to recruit people from there as they did with a few Ravenclaw that looked promising to the Dark Lord. That is why Dumbledore had not pressured them to fight at his side either. No one expected anything from them. It was the best place if he wanted to keep a low profile so he could keep Lily safe. Further…

"This is the first time I've heard that someone wants to go to Hufflepuff of their own free will!" Black looked surprised, his gray eyes staring at him in disbelief.

"What I said doesn't mean it's a bad house! That's what people say, but their loyalty motto really strikes me as extraordinary.” James surprisingly gave Sirius a dirty look to keep him from saying something mean. The Gryffindors are so predictable… Whenever they feel that a person needs to be protected, they would be the first to make friends with that person. People tend to be condescending towards the students of Helga's house, as if they thought that they could achieve nothing.

The thought of how Potter, who made his life hell, was defending Hufflepuff to avoid making him feel bad, grossed him out. If Severus had acted like he did the first time they would be already involved in a fight. His chances of becoming a Hufflepuff were slim, he didn't have any of the necessary characteristics, but he could still try to convince the hat and if that didn't work there was always Ravenclaw. And if he could not go against destiny and Slytherin ended up being his home again ... Later he would take care of making it work.

Lupin nodded gently. "It is a good house, I for my part would like to be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw." Remus decided to speak to change the course of the conversation, it was better to let rest the other boy who seemed somewhat shy.

James seemed ecstatic noticing that almost everyone wanted to be a part of Godric's house. "It would be great if we were all in Gryffindor, of course we will still be friends with Snape, even if he goes to Hufflepuff!" Potter added the last sentence quickly as he turned to watch the raven.

Severus almost laughed at the irony. Friends ... There was no way that would happen. It was one thing to make sure Lily was happy and another to get along with Potter. He didn't plan to murder him, Severus already had too much blood on his hands, but he couldn't bear his idiocy either. The dark-haired kid swallowed hard and nodded.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Sirius watched him with some amusement.

Lily stepped in instead of her friend. "Severus is quiet, but there is nothing wrong with that!"

"Sirius doesn't mean it in a bad way, don’t you Sirius?" James turned to his right to watch the other boy.

Black shrugged. "I would never bother a Puffie, Evans. That must be illegal.”

Lily was right up to a point, he used to be quieter before. The only person who made him want to talk was his redheaded friend. As time passed Severus had to learn to communicate in a better way since he was a teacher and a death eater. Here his silence and his guarded expression had a completely different reason. If he spoke, he was sure that he could not hide his displeasure for the other three children. Those three gave him a feeling similar to crawling down a sewer. It was awful, in fact, he was nauseous.

Luckily, the lady with the candy cart decided that this was a good time to offer her products. Almost everyone, except for Severus, stood up to buy. Snape did not have a single coin to buy food, he should probably be hungry since he doesn't eat breakfast; however, the nausea he felt had not diminished one bit. Maybe he should get some sleep to completely ignore the cause of his discomfort.

"Here, Sev," Lily kindly offered, placing a small cupcake in his hands.

Severus inhaled with difficulty. "It is not necessary, Lily. I'm fine."

Evans frowned. “You are very skinny, Sev! You should eat more.”

“It is not that, I feel sick. I don't think it's a good idea to eat something. ”Severus did a magnificent job of ignoring the looks of others. It was not difficult to conclude that he was poor. His uniform was not new.

He had forgotten what it was to be poor. When he worked at Hogwarts, he could afford new clothes, potion ingredients, and food. It was strange and somewhat embarrassing to be in this position again.

"Really?" Lily looked concerned.

Severus gave him a small, tired smile. "Yes, I will go to the bathroom to drink some water. Maybe with that and a nap later I feel better.”

Snape stood up and almost instantly Potter followed suit. "I can accompany you, Snape." The one with the glasses suggested.

Severus, who was already opening the door, stopped dead. The former teacher had to make a superhuman effort not to tense up. "It is not necessary, Potter. I can take care of myself,” as he said the last, he turned on his heel and gave James a deadly look, one that clearly promised bad things if he contradicted him. James swallowed thickly and ignored the tickle that flooded his body for a few seconds.

The door closed behind Severus and James Potter remained motionless in his place.

Sirius Black whistled. "He has his temper, huh?"

James nodded stunned. The boy sat next to Lily again, who seemed to have some difficulty eating her chocolate frogs.

"He is like that," Lily began as she struggled with her candy to hold it in place. "He doesn't like to be seen as weak."

An excited sound left the girl's mouth when she finally tasted the sweet. It was delicious!

“It is normal. No one likes to feel vulnerable,” Remus had a soft smile on his lips. There was something in his eyes that was hard to ignore, but no one commented on it.

When Severus returned, no one commented that he looked less pale than when he had walked out the door. The dark-haired kid took his place and closed his eyes to try to sleep for a few minutes. Remus seemed to follow suit and the two fell asleep. Sirius, Lily and James had a whispered conversation. It was funny talking that way and they had to laugh against the palm of their hands so as not to wake the other two sleeping children. Now like this, asleep, it really looked like they needed rest.

When the sky began to darken, the train finally reached its destination. The sound of the train whistle was enough to wake Severus and Remus. Evans, Lupin and Snape abandoned the compartment as soon as they had the opportunity since they already were wearing the school uniform. Sirius and James meanwhile stayed a little behind to change their normal clothes for the regulatory robe.

Severus gulped when he saw one of the Thestrals waiting for the students to get into the carriage. The kid decided to ignore the fact and walked next to Lily and Lupin towards one of the boats in which they were supposed to board. Another girl was already there, but Severus didn't pay much attention to her. Instead he decided to use that moment to focus on what he should do. Albus had said that the hat had perhaps been wrong with him, Snape was not sure of it. Even so, he hoped that the selection hat decision was not immediate, and he would be allowed to comment on it.

Snape's black eyes rested on the lake water; several children were murmuring in ecstasy about already almost being at Hogwarts. Voices got louder when they finally could see the castle. Something stirred within Severus. The man had lived many years in that same building. During his time as a student he had believed that this would be his safe heaven, but it turned out to be one of the worst stages of his life; later as a teacher ... things could be said to have improved, but he had no way of enjoying that fact since he always had to be aware of Voldemort and Dumbledore.

It was a matter of minutes for them to reach the castle and everything happened as Severus remembered it. McGonagall, who had received them many years ago, was also who received them now, it was difficult to describe the emotion he was feeling. It was sweet and bitter at the same time, completely bittersweet. For a moment he wondered if _the boy_ had told everyone the truth or if he had kept it to himself. Lily's hand taking his brought him out of his stupor.

"I'm nervous ..." the girl murmured as she listened to the witch's instructions.

Severus gave him a squeeze, hoping he could comfort her a bit with it. "I know you will be fine, Lily."

The doors to the Great Hall opened, Evans was silent for a few minutes. That was the end of the conversation, Severus thought, but when the first child —someone surnamed Abbott— walked towards the stool, Lily spoke again.

The girl's voice was soft, almost a sigh. "We'll still be friends no matter what, right, Severus?"

Snape squeezed the girl's hand with some force, for a moment he was afraid of making her uncomfortable, but Lily returned the squeeze. "I swear it, Lily." Severus answered with conviction. His throat felt dry and for a moment it felt like he was making an unbreakable vow.

Lily smirked in his direction and Severus did the same. The two completely ignorant of the looks they received from the trio of children they had met a few minutes earlier.

"Black, Sirius!" McGonagall's voice boomed as he called out who was supposed to be the Black's heir.

Snape's eyes did not lose a second to Black's movements. Even as a child he moved in that insufferable way, as if he thought his presence was a blessing to humans. He felt sick for a second but brushed it aside upon hearing the hat's verdict. Gryffindor was effusively applauding the arrival of a new member for his home who was also a Black. The Slytherins seemed disgusted as they looked at Sirius who was gushing with an older student next to him.

When Lily's turn came, Severus released her hand and whispered, "good luck." It was the only thing he could do to try to calm the redhead. She smiled nervously and headed for the stool. The hat was placed on his head and after a few seconds Gryffindor clapped again. Severus smiled softly in her direction as she sat down at the lions table.

Lupin was eventually called, and the red and gold house gained another member.

"Apparently there are only the two of us left, Snape," Potter's voice almost made him jump into place. He probably would have if he weren’t that battle trained. He had not realized that Potter had positioned himself at his side because he was thinking how to convince the hat.

Severus did everything in his power not to allow his hatred to creep into his voice. "You sure are happy, Potter." Snape sputtered dryly, glancing at the Godric Gryffindor table.

James smiled hugely, his perfect white teeth gleaming in the candlelight of the Great Hall. "You can bet it, Snape. Although… it would be better if you ended up in Gryffindor, so we would all be together!”

James Potter is stupid, that was not new. Severus gave the other kid an unimpressed look.

Potter sighed. "I know, I know. Hufflepuff, right?”

Severus nodded sharply. He did not want to talk.

Luckily, McGonagall's voice saved him when she called Potter. Severus ground his teeth as Potter patted him lightly on the back before heading to where the Sorting Hat was. The artifact was placed on the head of the brown-haired one and within seconds the hat screamed, "Gryffindor!"

There were only two people left for him to be called. He could still remember it.

"Snape, Severus!" Finally, Minerva called his name.

Until then, everyone had been drawn in the same place as in the past. His task to start the change the timeline began now. The sound of his beating heart was incredibly strong, Severus could feel his pulse alter for a few seconds.

The boy walked with his head up toward the stool. Snape deliberately did not make eye contact with both Minerva and Albus. His mind focused on one purpose: to avoid the death of Lily Evans.

The hat was put on his head and Severus closed his eyes.

"Oh my, what do we have here? What a tricky mind we have here. So many qualities that can be polished.” The hat whispered on his head with delight.

"Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff ..." Severus began to recite over and over in his head. He knew, from what he had heard Albus say, the hat was a curious being, whenever a student applied for a house it was always interested in the student’s motives.

Severus could feel how fun the hat found his pleading. "And why would that be, Mr. Snape?"

"I want to protect a friend. She is a very precious person to me. I want her to be happy.” Severus's hands were clasping his lap tightly.

The hat laughed. "That conviction to protect is worthy of a Gryffindor!" The voice in the hat was full of amusement. Snape's words were incredibly funny to him for some reason. “So not Gryffindor, huh Mister Snape? It's hard not to feel your disgust towards Godric Gryffindor house.”

Severus swallowed hard. "Hufflepuff, please."

Ravenclaw was still a feasible option, but he did not want to give up without trying. He could not break his vow to Lily in any way.

"A vow, I see ..." The hat was silent for a few seconds. "This whole process would be easier if you didn't try to hide all your thoughts, Mister Snape."

"Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff, Hufflepuff ..." Severus recited again in his mind.

The hat laughed loudly inside his head. "You know, Mr. Snape? You are not the first to try to hide your memories from me, but the magic of the creators is something difficult to overcome. If I may say I am one of the best magical artifacts created.” Snape's hands began to shake, but the boy forced himself to hold them steady in his lap. "Don't worry, Mr. Snape, you have my word and no word related to this will come out of my mouth. The loyalty you have professed and still profess is worth admiring. Your hard working is also something else… There is no doubt.”

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Badger House applauded loudly. Severus was vaguely aware that his clothes were changing color to look just like his other housemates’ clothes. Snape walked almost in a kind of trance until he reached his table. One of the older students smiled at him amiably, then focused on the selection that was not yet over. Vaguely, Severus realized that he wanted to cry for some reason. He inhaled deeply, he had been both a Death Eater and a spy. He could not let childish feelings attached to his young body affect his mission.

Severus recovered himself and looked up. His eyes met Lily and she smiled excitedly, surely the redhead was happy that he had managed to be in the house he wanted.

True, he could not cry over something so stupid and childish. Lily was smiling and saw him without a hint of disgust. This was easy. He would make it work.


	2. Badgers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! Enjoy!

Hufflepuff Common Room is totally different from Slytherin's. A small voice in his head tells him that it is probably much more different than Gryffindor and Ravenclaw’s as well. It's warm. The castle is kind of cold at night, Severus has learned to ignore it as the years go by, but the first thing he notices when entering his new common room is the warmth. It probably has a spell to keep it warm, it's hard not to notice. Yellow and black colors abound, in addition to plants. An immense amount of plants adorns the place, either hanging from the ceiling or arranged around the place. This is undoubtedly Sprout's job.

"Now, follow me around here guys," the male prefect waved for the boys to follow him. Severus had completely ignored what the other was saying, yet he did not think he had lost valuable information. The same thing was always repeated, house points, schedules and that the boys should not try to enter the women's rooms.

He could not deny that he was curious as the door to the bedrooms were entirely circular and underground. It was the first time he had been in the Hufflepuff Common Room and some of the boyish curiosity his body had made him stare in fascination at the fluorescent crystals that lit the way down. Small luminous particles floated around them, Snape raised his hand trying to take one and felt a small warmth until it was exterminated. When he opened his hand, he noted with curiosity how empty it was.

"Ah, they are petals of light hunters," someone beside him mentioned.

Severus knew someone was at his side as he descended the stairs, but he did not expect him to start any conversation.

"I know, they look similar to dandelions," Snape found himself responding apathetically. Socializing wasn't one of his main goals, but he knew he couldn't help but talk to his roommates. It would be stupid of him not to. Tactically it was wise to have classmates with whom there was a degree of mutual understanding, not a friendship — Lily had been his only friend for a reason after all — for convenience. The boy next to him didn't look like someone inclined to be stupid if he was able to recognize an essential plant for a potion of eternal sleep.

The boy hummed by his side, almost appreciative. "The tunnel is full of vines of them," the boy looked up at the plant attached to the wall.

Severus was saved from continuing the conversation when they finally reached the end of the tunnel. He observed the place, it was a passage with multiple doors of a strange mustard color stretched to the end it. “First-year students have the first 5 rooms near the tunnel. Look on the plate for your last names and when you see it enter the room, your things are already inside. ” The prefect, whose Severus did not know his name, smiled amiably in the direction of the first years. “I know you want to socialize, but please remember to sleep. Tomorrow will be an exhausting day since it will be your first day taking classes. Have a good night and if you have a serious problem you can go to any of the doors that have a badger in the front. Good night,” with those last words the prefect signaled everyone to enter their rooms.

Snape waited silently until the number of children decreased a little, he did not want to be unnecessarily touched by a bunch of eager kids with sticky hands. When most of the children had already entered the rooms, Severus began searching for his room. Neither the first nor the second door on the right had his name on it, nor did the third. The boy clicked his tongue and turned his body just as the blond boy, with whom he had previously spoken, entered the first room on the left.

Severus' black eyes scanned the doorplate and right there _Severus Snape_ said along with 3 other names to which he paid no attention. He entered through the door but stopped just inside the door frame when he noticed three pairs of eyes that were watching him curiously. Apparently, he had been the last one.

"I'm going to close the door," the dark-haired kid announced in a monotone voice. No one objected to it, so he set out to do what he had said.

"Perfect! We were just waiting for the last one to decide where everyone is going to sleep,” a dark-skinned boy excitedly announced.

Severus had paid virtually no attention to the Hufflepuffs many years ago, he really had no idea who they were or what they were called. "Okay," he readily accepted. He had no preference of where to sleep, he just wanted a bed to do it.

“Oh! Where are my manners? My mother would scold me if she were here…” the same boy from before decided to speak again. "My name is Jacob Williams."

"Charlie Brown," a boy with black hair and glasses spoke. He looked somewhat anxious.

The blue-eyed boy, with whom Severus had spoken, continued with the introductions. "Finnick Leavitt."

The surname Leavitt rings a bell in his head. It is also difficult not to notice the small French accent that the words of the other carried. Pureblood. He probably heard the last name being pronounced in his time as a Slytherin student. Afternoons, in the company of his roommates in Slytherin, always revolved around who was a pureblood and later ranked them among the blood traitors. Severus tried to remember details about this Leavitt, but unfortunately his memory could not supply any extra data.

"Severus Snape," the black-eyed conceded.

"Cool! Now we have to think about how to divide the beds,” part of Severus was beginning to wonder if Williams had consumed too many desserts perhaps. The way he spoke was full of energy.

Charlie raised his hand before speaking again. “I want a place near the window… I know it really isn't a window and it's charmed, but… it gives me some anxiety knowing we're underground,” Brown declined to elaborate further and just shrugged.

Jacob patted Charlie on the shoulder amicably. "I have no problem with it."

Severus shrugged, implying that it wasn't a problem for him, either. Finnick nodded to clarify that he agreed with that fact.

Snape really wanted to sleep; it had been a tired day. What he wants is to rest while he hopes that none of this is a nightmare. "I want the bed farthest from the windows."

Charlie, who is putting his things in the bed he chose, turns to see him as if he were crazy; Still, he makes no comment on the matter. Jacob and Finnick look at each other for a few seconds and then nod their approval. Severus walks away without saying anything else in the direction of what will be his bed for this first year. The fabric on the bed is not like Slytherin, it is not elegant and cold, it is warm and soft. The entire Hufflepuf Common House seems to move with the motto of warmth and comfort. It's strange in a way since it's a far cry from what Severus is used to.

When everything is finally ready, he takes his sleepwear and toothbrush to go to the bathroom to change. Severus recalls that the first time he visited the bathroom in Slytherin he had always found it fascinating how the rooms came with a bathroom of their own. His childhood home only had a shower that barely worked, having a continuous bathroom of his own had been a luxury that he had only been able to afford until he had received his own salary.

The bathroom was not necessarily something of the other world, two showers separated by walls and with a curtain in each of them to generate some privacy; In addition to this there were two cubicles where the toilets were located. Severus thought about taking a shower, but it was better not to do it, instead of generating comfort he would end up scaring the dream that he felt. He absentmindedly entered one of the bathroom stalls and changed his clothes as he carefully folded his uniform and set it aside. Hufflepuff was strangely warm, as he had mentioned earlier, so there was no discomfort in being barefoot.

Just as Severus finished putting on his old overcoat for sleeping, the bathroom door was opened. The cubby next to him was opened and the sound of clothes falling let him know that the other person was doing the same as him. Not long after that Jacob's loud laugh echoed in the bathroom, Charlie's voice barely above a whisper. Severus left the bathroom just as Charlie and Jabob entered the showers. Snape internally appreciated the fact and proceeded to brush his teeth.

Finnick, who was apparently the person who was changing by his side, left the bathroom and stood next to him to perform the same action that Severus was doing. It was strange not hearing the other boy start a conversation, weren't the Hufflepuffs supposed to be friendly? Perhaps it was due to his pureblood nature, each of those Severus has encountered in his life have been presumptuous bastards. Snape spat into the sink and headed to his bed. He didn't want to talk, just sleep and wake up in the morning with a chance to see Lily again. With a flourish of his wand the curtains of his bed were closed. He could finally rest.

.

.

.

His eyes widened suddenly; the taste of a nightmare still present in his mouth. The feeling of fangs tearing at his throat had been incredibly real. His heart was pounding painfully against his chest. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and cheeks, he felt dirty. He absentmindedly searched for his wand to conjure a _Tempus_ in order to check the time. It was barely past 5:40 am. He had plenty of time to spare.

Severus had been a spy for more than half of his miserable life, slipping into a room so as not to wake children was a game to him. He calmly took the uniform he had left ready the night before. Snape decided to ignore how his hands were shaking.

He had never liked sharing a shower, not in Slytherin, not in Hufflepuff; so, in a way waking up so early was a privilege. There was no annoying noise from annoying children who didn't know about boundaries. As the hot water descended on his body, Severus forced himself to leave his mind blank — a technique he had learned a while ago — and thus managed to extinguish the tremors in his body. His body and his emotions were the ones expected of a child, his mind knew that there was no reason to feel this way, but the memories of his death caused his body and feelings to react. It was something primitive and it made him feel ashamed.

The water continued to flow down his body and Severus was finally able to start his cleaning routine. Lily had given him a toiletry bag with basic personal cleaning things: shampoo, soap, conditioner, and hairbrush. Snape remembers that this had happened in his… past life as well, he had tried using it only once, but had given up doing it after hearing how certain individuals had laughed on his face at his feminine scent. Lily had always had a taste for floral scents, so the shampoo and conditioner smelled like lavender. The body soap smelled like mint. Now thinking about it he had been a complete fool; he had never cared what others thought. Lily's opinion is the only one that matters. So fragile was his masculinity?

He absentmindedly washed his hair while still thinking about what he had done. The toiletry bag had been forgotten and he never used it again to Lily's disappointment. It had been a stupid decision he had made, Severus enjoyed the smells of plants, no matter that they were flowers. Soft and distinctive aromas gave him peace of mind, perhaps because they reminded them of potions.

After completing his bath, he proceeded to get dressed, when he finally left the showers the feeling of seeing himself wearing the colors of Hufflepuff was strange. Severus did not have a particular thought about the house, only about the students. With annoyance and a little apathy, he remembered that the students at the Badger House tended to be… boisterous, not as bustling as the Gryffindors, but still not reserved like the Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Snape had the slight certainty that before the end of the day he would probably have a migraine.

Remembering his unpleasant future prompted him to leave the room. Just as he expected the common room was empty, the sun's rays exquisitely illuminated the common room. The plants, which Sprout had probably brought to the site, seemed to magically glow in the sun. Severus wondered for a moment if they were charmed to do that. His knowledge of magic plants was good, but there were a few plants he didn't recognize, so he assumed they didn't have any properties that could be used in a potion or in some practical way. An example of this was the mini palm tree that seemed to be dancing to the rhythm of non-existent music. He stared at the plant for a couple of seconds and instantly could feel the plant staring back at him. Snape suppressed a sigh; he was going crazy.

As he left the Hufflepuff Common Room he felt strangely agitated. It wasn't his instinct yelling at him about impending danger but rather the fact that this was happening. Severus was in the past, _present,_ living his life again. A horrible life without much joy is worth noting. The only happy moments, the only moments that allowed him to summon a Patronus, were the ones he had with Lily. Severus has always loved Lily, be it this life or the past. He doubts that the feeling will disappear at some point, perhaps it is something eternal, but ... His own selfishness is what had caused the death of Lily. His hands weren't the ones that killed her, but it had been his fault anyway. Severus clenched his jaw.

He had never been a good person, his personal interests had been his priority, at least before Lily's death. His ambition, his desire to be recognized, his desire to devour the world to show them what Severus Snape was made of were the traits that the sorting hat had observed in him. Those traits had earned him a place in Slytherin. Now ... Now Severus is nothing like that. He is now just an old soul in a very young body.

"Ah, an early bird, I see," Snape does his best not to look startled when Dumbledore's voice catches him off guard.

Severus is not supposed to know this man. He should not know him or every one of his plans, but Severus does. He cannot lift mental barriers because that would alert Dumbledore, what kind of first year knows how to do it? He does not instantly believe that Albus would respect something like the mind of an infant if it meant quenching his curiosity for someone he suspected. Dumbledore is not a bad man, but exactly because he is not a bad man is that he is willing to break boundaries for the great good. Severus has been able to trick Voldemort for many years, including during his own death. He can do this.

"Good morning, Professor," he replies in a soft voice and some nervousness. Something expected of a child in front of a figure of as much importance as the Hogwarts Headmaster.

"I imagine, Mr. Snape, you are heading to the Great Hall to start his day, ”Albus watches him with bright eyes and Severus locks the memories of his past life, leaving his memories of childhood at the disposal of the old man.

Snape nods nervously. "I wanted to look at the castle a bit first, before it gets crowded."

“I see, but, my boy, remember not to wander the castle unsupervised on your first day. Then you can do the same in the company of your friends. Let's get breakfast, Mr. Snape, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Dumbledore makes a movement with his hand to accompany him and so the two begin a silent walk.

Severus had walked aimlessly as he left the Hufflepuff Common Room apparently. His feet had taken him in the direction of the stone bridge, quite far ... An area where he could have been lost if it were the case that he is an inexperienced first year. Snape mentally hit himself, _how had he been so careless?_

Dumbledore was not a bad man, but Severus many times disagreed with him. He would not know what to do if he was again in the position of murdering the man in front of him at his request. After a few more minutes of walking they finally arrive at the Great Hall that is almost empty. Only a few teachers and students are scattered around the place. Lily is not there but he is not surprised by the fact. Lily has never been a morning person.

"Enjoy your meal, Mr. Snape,” Dumbledore smiles in his direction.

"So do you, Professor," Severus says softly.

Without further ado the old man heads in the direction of the teachers' table while Severus heads for the Hufflepuff table. For a brief moment his body almost made him head for the Slytherin table, but Snape is quick to remember that he is no longer a Slytherin. Without further ado he decides to sit a bit apart from the other three Hufflepuffs out there, all of them looking to be seventh year old. This means that it is totally normal to feel exclude, the age gap is long and therefore apprehension is a logical conclusion. Severus is not in the mood to interact with people; in fact, he is not hungry, but he has to make himself look as he is. He must appear normal for the sake of his mission.

Due to his lack of appetite, he decides to have something light for breakfast: some toast and some tea. Severus is in the middle of his breakfast when someone sits across from him. The boy purses his lips and forces himself not to show his discontent, hoping that the person in front of him doesn't try to start a conversation. Satisfactorily he realizes that the other person has started breakfast without trying to talk. After a while Snape finally decides to look up to finally look at the person in question. She is a girl who looks incredibly like the incarnation of Hufflepuff, not Helga but the house itself. She has light honey eyes, blonde hair, and flushed cheeks. His person harmonizes with the colors of the uniform. Severus has no idea who she is.

It is hard not to notice that the girl seems not to be hungry and that her eyes are red and puffy. She has probably cried recently and therefore has no appetite. Severus looks back at his food to continue his meal. It is not his problem and he does not want to be involved in it.

Just when he's finished eating, his class schedule appears in front of him. The girl in front of him makes a sound of surprise when the same thing happens to her. Severus review the classes of the day. His brow furrows slightly when he notices that he only has one class with Lily, and it is the last one. He could wait for her to say hi, but it wouldn't matter much. Lily had always eaten at the Gryffindor table with her roommates. His first class was herbology with Ravenclaw. Severus vaguely remembers that his first class in first year had been potions, Lily had been his table partner.

Since the first class would be at the greenhouse, Severus decided to use the remaining time to explore the terrain outside the castle. It would be wise of him to make sure everything looked the same as he remembered it. He did not want to be in for an unpleasant surprise about some important fact that has changed due to his sudden appearance in the past.

"Wait!" Just as he is leaving the door to the Great Hall behind a female voice calls for him.

Severus sighs in exasperation, of course he would be forced to interact with people, even if he didn't want to.

"Yes?" Snape turns to look at the girl who is undoubtedly the Hufflepuff who was eating in front of him.

She hides her mouth behind her hand and the sound of her voice is muffled. Severus doesn't understand a single word of what she's saying.

"I did not hear what you said," Severus' voice has a tinge of exasperation.

The girl jumps. She seems to weigh her options and after having an internal chat with herself removes her hand from her mouth. "What I said was, 'Do you know where we have the herbology class?'"

Severus blinks again and again, but the blue color of the girl's teeth does not change. She seems to notice his gaze and for a moment the girl's eyes look crystal clear, almost as if she is going to cry.

"You can laugh," the girl offered as she shrugged. “My roommates thought it was fun. They gave me these sweets yesterday and…” The blonde made a vague gesture with her hand. She certainly looked like she wanted to cry, but she also seemed tired of crying.

Snape sighed in exasperation. Of course, Hufflepuff was also not a ray of sunshine and had its own number of bullies.

"You are a muggleborn," Severus stated with certainty. Certainly, someone who knew magic would not fall for those stupid sweets.

The girl nodded reluctantly.

The boy took the bridge of his nose in his hands. He didn't want to get involved, he didn't want to, but… This girl reminded him of himself, always being the subject of a stupid prank.

"Stay still," Severus muttered under his breath as he pulled out his wand. The girl looked curiously in his direction without any fear, even though he was pointing his wand at her. _She does not have a bit of a sense of preservation, Merlin_. The boy moved his wand, muttered a few words, and put it back inside his robe.

"What was that?" The blonde curiously questioned starting to follow Severus who had finally decided to head towards the greenhouse.

The black-eyed one almost rolled his eyes. "Something to make your teeth the same color as always."

The girl beside him lets out a surprised gasp. " Seriously?!"

Severus just nods, wishing that would end the conversation.

"I am Olivia Rossi," Unfortunately, it seems that her internal prayers were not heard.

"Severus Snape," offers the black-eyed one.

Severus really expects Rossi to be silent or bored with him at some point. Also, there is no reason for her to speak to him. Snape is not exactly the definition of someone to make your friend. Yes, there is no reason for Rossi to follow this, it would only be enough for her to meet some other girl or boy. This will only be a matter of hours, after the herbology class ends the whole thing will be in the past.

.

.

.

It is not a matter of hours Severus realizes in horror. Olivia has sat next to him throughout herbology. Then she followed him, talking animatedly by his side, when classes ended. Jacob, Finnick and Charlie were also walking alongside him. Severus felt this was all a kind of nightmare. He was surrounded by 4 children who kept talking to each other. He was going crazy.

Jacob was restless and energetic, luckily, so after Severus suggested sitting under a tree to wait until the next class, the boy bit his lip and announced that he preferred to investigate the castle. Charlie had seemed intrigued by the proposition and had decided to join Williams. So, in the end only Leavitt, Rossi and he were left.

"The next class is Transfiguration with Slytherin, right?" Leavitt had decided to sit next to Severus.

Olivia nodded enthusiastically. “I can't wait for the next class! It was really impressive to hear all that about magic plants,” Rossi, who was sitting across from the two, exclaimed with passion. Severus could easily understand why the blonde had been the object of a prank. She had no regrets in exclaiming her little knowledge of magic.

Finnick nodded. "Magic is fascinating."

"It's useful," Severus added absently as he flipped through the rest of the schedule.

After Transfiguration they had a space to have lunch and then they have to attend their last class which was Charms. He couldn't wait to speak to Lily again. It was still hard for him to believe that this was happening.

Finnick and Olivia continued conversing with each other, Severus answered only when necessary. He was aware that he had to socialize in order to survive, but although he hated to admit it, the morning nightmare had left him feeling uncomfortable in his own skin. Luckily it seemed that Rossi and Leavitt had some intelligence and noticed that he did not seem comfortable with having a conversation, so they let him be. Severus felt completely strange between those two, they were both blond, so Snape had a vague feeling that he was the one who stood out. It was like seeing two dogs and a cat together.

They spent the rest of the time together before heading to Transfiguration. As expected, the room was divided into two sectors, the Slytherins were sitting on the left side while the Hufflepuffs were on the right side. Severus decided to sit in the middle of the right side. He didn't want to have to be this close to Minerva, he could still remember his fight with her shortly before his death. Yes, definitely, he preferred to avoid that.

Severus suppressed a sigh as Olivia sat next to him and Finnick next to her. Why did they bother to follow him? Snape was sure that Rossi and Leavitt could find people more suited to the kind of friends they were looking for.

"Wow, that cat is very cute," Olivia's eyes were fixed on the cat that was on the desk.

Honestly, Severus had never thought that McGonagall was dramatic, in fact he had always thought that the woman preferred to be direct. Now, in hindsight, Snape is no longer so sure of that fact. Minerva always did this for each of her first year. The black-eyed kid had a suspicion that the woman probably liked to impress them. Being honest with himself he couldn't blame her either, Severus got some satisfaction from slamming the door open to the potions class.

Severus shrugged. "Just wait."

Leavitt raised an eyebrow at him, but Snape decided to ignore him. Olivia looked curious, but in the end, she just bit her lower lip and turned her gaze back to the cat. When each of the students arrived in the classroom, it happened. Questions about the teacher's whereabouts or about the cat on the desk stopped. A few of them opened their eyes surprised, their mouth hanging ungracefully, Olivia had been one of those who reacted that way. Not a surprise.

After the initial surprise Finnick turned to look at him in puzzlement. Snape savored the satisfaction of knowing something than pureblood did not. Severus's mind screamed that he was being childish, that was certainly not an emotion of his adult self, it was probably something associated with his body as a child.

McGonagall started the class and with it the first attempts at magic. Transfiguration was not his favorite class, he could recognize its usefulness, but it was still really stupid for him to transfigure a poor animal into an object. Olivia beside him looked horrified to see Minerva's display of magic in which she turned a bird into a chandelier.

"Does the animal stop thinking that it is alive when in that state?" the girl asked fearfully.

Finnick didn't look that happy now with Rossi's question on his mind either. "Technically, by performing a complete transfiguration, the object or animal becomes completely what the wizard or witch wants."

Olivia looked like she wanted to cry looking at the chandelier. "And what if they forget they must undo the enchantment?"

Leavitt looked at her in puzzlement and Severus sighed. "Professor McGonogall doesn't seem very happy to see us speaking."

The three Hufflepuff were silent when they noticed that the teacher was certainly watching them with a not very happy face. In the end she decided to ignore them after a few seconds of scrutiny and so began her explanation of how to transfigure a match into a needle. At least with this type of invocation Olivia seemed calmer, which meant that Severus didn't have to deal with a crying girl beside him.

Eventually the class ended, and Severus left the room with a needle in his hand and 5 points for Hufflepuff for being the first to do so. It was unfair to the rest, Snape knew the spell, it was first year magic, for Merlin’s sake. He really hadn't tried to do it that quickly. He had even been toying with improperly moving his wand, but after pretending for the sixth time Severus had enough and transformed the stupid match into a needle.

"The first day and you already got 5 points, Severus!" The girl seemed not to know manners, they hardly knew each other for a day, and she was calling him by his first name. "Mine is more a toothpick than a needle," Rossi wailed as she flicked through her match.

Leavitt looked at his. "Mine needs more toughness, it looks like a needle, but I still can't give it the required toughness."

The black-haired one decided to sympathize and offer advice. "You must have a strong mental image when doing it."

"Oh," both children said at the same time.

Upon reaching the Great Hall, an immense number of students flooded the place. Severus had every intention of sitting in a corner when a scream startled them.

"Snape, Leavitt, Rossi, here!" Jacob was waving his hand effusively, Charlie beside him looking unperturbed by the fact.

Severus resignedly walked in the direction of the other children and prepared himself for a lunch that would be disastrous. Snape took place in front of Charlie and both Finnick and Olivia sat at his sides leaving him in the middle. The black-eyed kid did his best not to look disgusted by the fact.

Snape blinked when he saw a hand being moved in the distance with effusiveness. A slight smile settled on his lips when he noticed it was Lily, the redhead was looking in his direction with a huge smile. The redhead's lips were gesturing her name. The boy imitated the greeting and that was enough for Lily's smile to increase.

Dealing with children was incredibly tiring, but at least seeing Lily like this, being happy and alive, was worth it.

.

.

.

His hunch had come true during Charms. He was feeling a huge headache at the time. He had been wanting to take the class because that meant spending time with Lily, but of course, with his horrible luck, nothing had happened as he had wished.

For starters, he had been distracted during lunch because Jacob was telling a stupid story of how he had changed the color of his parents' clothes and his own to neon yellow while they were attending something boring, related to this father’s work, at the ministry. Williams had recounted with delight how his parents had left the clothes as they were so that every time people asked why they were dressing like this they would answer that their son had done it.

His mind betrayed him and for a moment he allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to have parents like that. Severus bit his tongue not many seconds later, that kind of weakness was unacceptable. After his outburst, Snape realized that Lily was no longer in the Gryffindor table, which meant that he was probably heading to class.

The black-eyed kid had stood up to go to class, unfortunately all the children imitated him and so, with the other Hufflepuffs, they headed towards the classroom. He could not deny that he had felt betrayed by noticing that Lily was sitting next to Mary MacDonald and Alice Moore. The seats in the Charms class only had three students allowed to sit together, so he resignedly sat behind Lily. Olivia and Finnick followed suit.

"Hello, Sev!" Lily, noticing his presence, had turned in her seat to greet him.

It was impossible not to smile a little at the girl's notorious joy at seeing him. "Hello, Lily."

"How have the classes been?" Lily's green eyes watched him with great interest.

"Normal, I suppose," he replied simply.

Evans snorted in exasperation; however, her eyes had fondness. “Of course, you would say something like that, Severus Snape.”

"Is this your friend who lives near you, Lily?" Mary had asked curiously.

Lily nodded enthusiastically. "Sev is my best friend!"

Olivia beside her seemed to shrink back as she let out a small: "Oh."

"Right, I have to introduce you! These are my roommates Mary MacDonald and Alice Moore,” the redhead pointed to each of the girls as she said their name.

"Severus Snape," he said as he gave them a small nod of greeting. It really continued to surprise him how being from Hufflepuff changed people's reaction when meeting him; for example, Mary or Alice looked at him as if at any moment he was going to curse them. The boy can still remember how those two had viewed him suspiciously when noticing his green tie. Snape had to control his urge to click his tongue.

"I am Finnick Leavitt," the blond boy introduced himself. Severus nearly snorted when both Alice and Mary blushed at the sight of the pureblood. Of course.

Severus rolled his eyes in annoyance. "She is Olivia Rossi," he said as he pointed to the nervous looking girl.

Olivia waved, but saved for Lily no one seemed to pay much attention to her or him. Severus was irritated by the fact. It was somewhat anticlimactic to notice how Olivia, who had been talking nonstop a few moments ago, became incredibly shy in the company of other girls. Perhaps it was due to her bad start with those girls who had decided to play a prank on her as soon as she met them.

"Hey, Olivia, continuing with our conversation about Transfiguration," Finnick, with all the grace expected of a pureblood, cut off Mary's questions so that he could focus his attention again on his two Hufflepuff friends.

Olivia's face twisted in mortification. “I still think that I won't be able to do a transfiguration if an animal is involved. What if I do it wrong and kill it?”

Still annoyed at being completely ignored by the other two Gryffindors, Severus decided to contribute to the conversation to actively participate in the plan to ignore Lily's two friends. Of course, first he smiled softly in the direction of Lily who gave him a knowing look, apparently, she had not appreciated that he and Olivia were ignored either, so she approved of his actions. "An animal cannot die from a transfiguration."

Rossi's huge amber eyes and Leavitt's blue eyes watched him curiously.

"Really? Why?" Finnick asked curiously.

"A transfiguration spell not completed to perfection only lasts for a few minutes!" If anyone asks Severus, he would say he did a spectacular job of not showing his displeasure when James Potter interrupted him.

They all turned their faces to observe the newcomer. James had sat just behind Severus, Sirius in the middle, and Remus facing the hall.

"Hello," James greeted with a smile on his face and a small wink. Snape wasn't looking at Lily, but he was sure the girl was rolling her eyes right now.

"Hey Snape, you accomplished your dream of being a puffie," Black commented with some amusement as he stretched out in his seat.

Remus gave the gray-eyed kid an exasperated look. "Seriously Sirius, your lack of tact surprises me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, mom."

When Professor Flitwick entered the Severus room, he was incredibly relieved. It was one thing to deal with his classmates and quite another to deal with stupid marauders. Snape knew he had to learn to control his fury, but just seeing them reminded him of that time they showed his underwear to all of Hogwarts. The boy took a deep breath and decided to focus on the class. As expected, they were starting with a _Wingardium Leviosa_. After practicing the wand movements, the teacher urged them to try it.

His body and boyish emotions were undoubtedly affecting his mind, Severus concluded in horror. Olivia and Finnick turned to see him with something akin to amusement on their faces. Oh no, they had realized that he snorted when noticing how Alice's feather had caught fire and Mary next to her had tried to extinguish it.

A sound similar to a laugh made him turn and just behind them Black and Potter seemed to be trying to mitigate their laughter, Remus at their side looked at them with clear annoyance, but there was a smile on his lips that indicated that he also found the situation amusing . When his gaze met Potter's, he gave him a look that clearly said he shared his amusement.

Severus forced himself to keep a neutral expression to imply that he was not an idiot like him, but of course that was the moment when Mary screamed, “My hair! I'm going to look like Aunt Betsy!”

Snape tried to avoid it, but his body betrayed him, and his lips curled up. Olivia beside him began to shake trying not to laugh, Severus noted absentmindedly because his eyes were on Potter who for some strange reason seemed to have shone when seeming to notice something exciting on the black-haired kid's face.

The Hufflepuff grimaced and resumed his original position. Mary's hair was intact, and Alice's feather was no longer on fire, Professor Flitwick had apparently taken care of it. Severus rolled his eyes and decided to take advantage of his knowledge, call him petty, but he was not going to miss his chance to show Sirius Black and James Potter that he was better than the two of them together.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Severus waved his wand and the feather began to float in the air.

"Oh, great! Please everyone notice how Mr. Snape has done it. Excellent, 5 points for Hufflepuff!” Flitwick warmly congratulated him.

"Cool, Snape, we've already got 10 points thanks to you!" Jacob yelled from somewhere in the back of the room. The rest of the Hufflepuff applauded at the boy's words and oh God, for some strange reason his face felt red. Had he blushed? Severus thought with mortification. Surely, he had to do something to get his body and mind in tune.

The rest of class went normally, just Olivia and Finnick asking for advice from time to time. Lily seemed to want to ask him, but the girl had always been somewhat proud to ask for help so directly, a Gryffindor-worthy trait. The Hufflepuffs appeared to be unaffected for fear of asking for help though.

When Charms ended everyone proceeded to leave the room. Severus felt somewhat obfuscated to feel surrounded by so many people. Olivia and Finnick had not left his side, Lily walked a little in front of him turning from time to time to talk to him. Charlie, Jacob, and Pettigrew's voice came from somewhere on his left side. Morgana, why were there so many people? Severus was used to walking only with Lily when they had classes together. Why was she letting him suffer like this?

 _She thinks I made friends_ , Severus thought with disgust. Of course, Lily saw him interacting with other people and she is giving him his space to continue with his supposed new friends. Snape bit his lip to keep from yelling at her that she was wrong.

Maybe he could ask him if she wanted to go to the library with him? That way he could have a minute, finally, alone with her. He would not have to interact with more Hufflepuff or Gryffindor. His train of thought was stopped when he felt someone collide with him from behind.

Severus turned annoyed to face the idiot who had collided with him. "Potter," he growled. Of course, it had been James Potter.

James winced and opened his mouth to later close it. Then he opened it again. "You smell like flowers." Snape would have preferred that he kept his mouth shut.

Severus eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, got a problem?"

James shook his head effusively, his head shaking so hard that his glasses did not fly off had been a miracle. "No! I mean it's ah-ah! It's a- I ... It's a nice scent, a good choice, a smart choice.” Potter looked mortified to notice what he had said. Severus shared the feeling.

After Potter's words there was a silence of a few seconds that was interrupted by Black's loud laughter. The boy was laughing so hard that his face had turned red and his eyes had filled with tears. "Oh Merlin, James!" Sirius said with a laugh.

James blushed and punched Black lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, Sirius!"

Severus had a strange feeling that for the first time in his life Black was not laughing at him but at James Potter. The thought twisted his stomach.

"Come on," he said to no one in particular, but Finnick and Olivia started walking beside him again. Lily also resumed the walk with her friends, but not before giving James Potter a strange look.

Severus Snape shuddered; Lily was starting to like the idiot Gryffindor apparently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was basically Severus being grumpy trying to avoid to socialize and well things does not work as he wants. Sorry for taking so long in updating but college has been horrible these days. Hope you can join the discord. I changed the link, i was kinda dumb and used the expiration link of 1 day. Anyways, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Honestly i have a question, is there a snames discord or something? This ship is not that popular and I would love to talk about them with other people. My twitter is @Zenico14 if you want to talk about a discord or something. 
> 
> Edit: I have no self-control and i made a discord. The link is this one : [Snames Discord](https://discord.gg/p6TQjSa)
> 
> Have a nice day!


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